1.02.2013

It's back to work I go...

People who know me (and read my blog) will be sighing and thinking "why is she dragging a picture of that painting out again??"...but I thought I'd share anyway. If you've been reading my blog for any length of time--and have hung in there through the posting droughts--I seem to be a crafty person...sometimes the MacGyver of crafty people, by using odds and ends and trying to make something out of nothing. "Artsy", I'm not...but I aspire. Late last spring, one of the people who attends classes and programs at my library told me about an artist and a book. Flora Bowley and Brave, Intuitive Painting. Truly...it changed my world.

Here's my first attempt at "being brave, and painting intuitively"...this is a 48" x 48" piece...pretty huge, and full of color. My friend Ronda (see past posts to look at her work), and I bought a sheet of Masonite, and the fine folks at Home Depot cut in in half for us. We both primed the surface with Kilz, and then began painting late last fall. Layer, upon layer, using acrylics and mark-making tools (bubble wrap, pallet knives, bottle caps), bottles full of runny paint to dribble...and here's the end result. I'm proud of my first effort, and have since progressed to using canvas to paint on...much easier! I'll get permission from Ronda to post her painting here later today.

Edited to add: "Solace" by Ronda H.

Now it seems I have a new hobby...painting--and I love it. The bright colors of paint will get me through this gloomy winter. Optimism...day 2.

Back to work at the library...I was off for 11 days and it was pretty wonderful. I need structure in my life though, so going back to work will bring that. I've been painting over break, but smaller paintings. Happy New Year, Vee!